Back to Hazzard
by SchmidtyWerban
Summary: A girl from the Dukes past has returned after the death of her parents. This is my first Dukes fic! Please Review! I'll update soon!
1. Returning to Hazzard County!

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything that has to do with the Dukes of Hazzard. I made up the character Ashley Jo Rite for my own use. **

A cool breeze drifted past my shoulders from the open window. The Georgia countryside flew past my rusty Ford pickup. The sun had just risen about an hour ago leaving the dew drops to sparkle across the grass. I pulled a baseball cap out of the back seat and positioned it on my head to shade the morning sun from my eyes. I knew it was only about a half hour until I reached my childhood home in Hazzard County. I flipped on my radio hoping to find some rock to which I'd grown accustomed to. Instead I'd found on every channel was country music. It didn't surprise me. I'd known before leaving that I'd have to get used to country music again if I was going to survive living back in Hazzard. I left the dial to WHOGG, the local Hazzard Country radio station. The sounds of Waylon Jennings drifted from the speakers.

The soft swaying of corn crops on the side of the road brought my mind back to another time. Another time I'd driven down this same road with the two most important people in my life. The thought of my parents brought tears to my eyes. Their death was still hard to believe. I forced the memory to the back of my mind and continued driving along the black tar. Within a few minutes, I finally passed a sign that read _Welcome to Hazzard County. _I let out a hefty breath; I was finally home.

The first place I was headed to was the Duke Farm. I pulled up the long, dirt driveway about five minutes later. I quickly climbed out of the rusty pickup and jogged over to the door. From the looks of it, nothing had changed since I'd last seen the place. It was still the same run-down farm I'd seen in my youth. I rapped on the door a few times. It didn't take long for a tall, dark haired man to answer the door. "Can I help ya?" he asked kindly.

"I'm looking for Jesse Duke," I told him, "Does he still live here?"

"Jesse's lived here since the dinosaurs roamed," he teased looking back in the house. I could see Jesse Duke seated over at the table. He gave the man a glare before getting up and coming over. The two others seated at the table soon followed to see what was going on.

"Ashley Jo Rite, I thought that was you!" Jesse said before wrapping me in a warm inviting hug. Suddenly a whole lot of memories from my childhood came fluttering back…

A/N: That's all I've got for now! I was kind of in a hurry so I'll try to update as soon as possible! Please Review!


	2. The Dukes

Ashley Jo Rite stood before me for the first time in 7 years. Beside the New Jersey plates on her rusty Ford, she hadn't changed all that much. In fact, she was so damn near the same I'm surprised I didn't recognize her right on the spot.

Bo and Daisy were quick to wrap her in a warm embrace. I followed my cousins and did the same. Uncle Jesse invited her in the living room to warm up with coffee. She looked just as beautiful as ever. Her honey blonde hair had changed to a dark auburn over the years she'd been gone. Her blue eyes, that once showed so much happiness, were now filled with pain and misery. But nonetheless, she was the same Ashley Jo from my childhood.

"So Ashley Jo…" I started, "What brings ya all the way back to Hazzard County"

"Well…" she said; I noticed the twinge of pain in her voice, "I'm sure ya'll heard bout my parents death a few weeks ago. I came back for the funeral and my parents left me the house so…"

"You're gonna live in that big ole house all alone sugar?" Daisy asked her kindly.

"For a while anyways," she told us all, "I gotta get it all fixed up and painted before I have the wake. So it'll be at least a few days till I can even start planning anything."

"Well…me 'n Luke'd be happy to help," Bo volunteered, "Wouldn't we Luke?"

"Of course," I told her, "So you must have up and married by now…"

"Actually I was engaged for a while but Erik….he said I was different after my folks died. He didn't have much patience for me moping and grieving. He eventually left me for some secretary at work," she told us with tears forming in her eyes, "I'm sure none ya'll are married!"

"You guess right," Bo said giving me a playful slap on the shoulder.

"Are you kiddin?" Uncle Jesse said, "The chances a these two perducin' a family is up there with hogs perducin' beef!"

"Thanks Uncle Jesse," I said; I couldn't help grinning. Ashley let out a small friendly chuckle but soon went back to sipping her coffee.

"Oh my goodness!" Daisy shouted, "I gotta get to work! Hey Ashley, why don't you come by? See all yer old friends…it'll be loads a fun. What do ya say?"

"Yeah, that would be fun," she said with a grin spreading about her face. Her smile was so beautiful. I couldn't help but fall for her. I knew she wouldn't be too keen on me makin' a play on her when her folks just died and her fiancé left. Since she'd be stayin back in Hazzard for a while…the time would present itself.

_Well….there's gonna be some commotion now that Ashley Jo is back in Hazzard County. She was just about as well known as Dukes. Ya see, way back when she was a lil tyke a just 5 years old, her an her folks moved down ta Hazzard from Tennessee. They all took a real likin' to the Dukes and all became fast friends. Ashley Jo left for college a while after and she aint talked to the Duke since. I reckon Hazzard County's gonna be one bustlin' place! _


	3. At the Boars Nest

I gazed through the musty air of the Boars Nest. Being a Friday night the place was packed! I watched as couples gathered to dance to the soft country twang. Bo and Luke led me to a small table near the back. I took a seat between the boys and Daisy quickly served us a round of beers. I cringed as the taste of the watered down alcohol hit my lips. Bo and Luke noticed my expression and burst out in laughter. I shoved a handful of popcorn in my mouth hoping to drown the taste from my tongue.

"That's not funny!" I defended when I swallowed the last bit of popcorn.

"Don't worry 'bout it sweetheart," Bo said between laughs, "It takes a bit ta get used to it!"

"Apparently so," I said with a chuckle, "Hey Daisy; can I get some water?"

"Sure can sugar," Daisy told me with a grin. She returned quickly to take away the fowl tasting liquor replace it with a fresh glass of water.

"Hey Luke; look who it is," Bo said pointing to a young blonde across the Boars Nest.

"Is that Betty Lou Jamison?" Luke asked, "Better make sure her daddy ain't 'round ta rip off yer head!"

"Cute Luke," Bo shot his cousin a look, "I'm gonna head over there to see if'n she's up fer a date tomorra."

"Good luck cousin," Luke said as Bo stood to leave, "Yer gonna need it!"

"Thanks a lot," Bo said, "See ya'll later!"

"Bye Bo," I told him before he walked off into the crowd.

"You glad to be home?" Luke asked me taking a sip of his beer.

"Yeah, not under these circumstances," I told him, "But I'm nonetheless happy to see everyone again."

"Yeah, it's real nice to see yer pretty face 'round Hazzard again," he told me with a smile.

"So what were you up to while I was away?" I asked him with a grin.

"Well…livin' the country life I guess," Luke said, "I spent a few years overseas in the Marines shortly after you left. Times got hard for a while and it took a lot to keep from rushing home. It really was tough stayin' away from Bo, Daisy, and Uncle Jesse."

I noticed the pain in his voice when he talked about being away. Luke was big on family and I greatly admired him for it. I was close to my family during high school and the summer after but once I left we'd lost touch. We talked on occasion, maybe once a week, but once I'd been with Erik the phone calls became less and less. And now that my parents were dead, I regretted how much we'd grown apart.

"It sounds hard," I told him putting a reassuring hand on his shoulder. His muscles felt tense under the thin plaid he was wearing.

"Yeah," he looked down into his glass, "I'm just glad it's all in the past."

"Yeah," I said back, not knowing what to say. We sat a minute, sipping our drinks in silence. Luke was the first to speak.

"So this Erik guy…he was your fiancé?"

"Yeah, we had a great time until my parents died. He got frustrated at how upset I was. I didn't do anything and that upset him. He got so angry with me that he eventually left," I told Luke with a hint of sorrow in my voice.

"Sounds like a real jackass," Luke said, "No offense."

"Oh, none taken! He was a real jackass at the end!"

My heart fluttered as I heard Tanya Tucker's voice echo from the jukebox. Two Sparrows in a Hurricane was the song my parents danced to at their wedding. Every year on their anniversary they'd play it and dance in each others arm.

"I love this song!" I told Luke, "My parents danced to it on their wedding night."

"Do you want to dance?" he asked me, making me smile wider than I had in a while.

"Yes," I told him honestly. I took his hand and he led me to the center of the Boars Nest. I felt so safe wrapped up in his arms. We danced swaying together, letting the magic of the moment fill our hearts.

_Well…ya'll reckon there's a little somethin' more 'tween them then they's letting on? _

A/N: Sorry it took a while for me to get this chapter up! I was having a little bit of writers block for a while! Please Review and I'll try to update soon!


	4. Stranger to Hazzard

I saw Bo grin at me from across the Boars Nest as he noticed Ashley Jo and me dancing. He soon turned his attention right back to Betty Lou and I turned my attention back to dancing but before I knew it the song was over. Ashley and I went back to our table.

"Thanks for the dance Luke," she said still smiling.

"No problem," I said returning the smile. I saw a stranger enter the Boars Nest. He didn't dress like he was from around here. He wore a light brown leather bomber jacket and faded black jeans. He fought against the crowds to find an empty table. Daisy was quick to go take his order. They smiled and talked a minute and she soon returned with a beer. I saw him scan the people; it was almost seemed as if he was looking for someone.

"What are you looking at?" Ashley Jo asked me curiously. She turned her head hoping to find what had gained my attention.

"Oh nothing," I said turning my attention back to her.

"Ok?" she questioned raising an eyebrow at me. I could see the stranger behind us gazing at Ashley Jo. He smiled before pulling himself out of his chair. He quickly came over to our table. I started to grow a little suspicious as he came closer.

"Ashley?" he questioned putting a hand on her shoulder. She seemed surprised and whipped her head around quickly. Her smile soon faded and a puzzled expression overtook her face.

"Erik," she said with a hint of anger in her voice, "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Now is that any way to talk to your fiancé?" he said with a smile. I'd already hated him from what Ashley had told me. He broke her heart and I had a huge urge to punch him right then and there.

"Fiancé?" she said, "If you still think we're getting married after the things you put me through you've got to wake up and smell the roses, darlin'!"

"Now baby, let's talk about this outside," he said grabbing Ashley's arm.

"No let's not!" she yelled pushing his hand off.

"I said let's talk outside!" he grabbed her arm again.

"Let go! You're hurting me!" Ashley Jo shouted. I felt a surge of rage fill through me. I quickly rose from my seat.

"She said let go!" I said sternly.

"Oh and who's gonna make me; some hick town plowboy like you?"

Before I knew it, Erik was on the ground with blood trickling from his nose. Fights exploded across the Boars Nest. A blow to my stomach knocked me backwards and I landed on a nearby table. The table wasn't even close to strong enough to support me and it shattered into tiny splinters of wood. I fell to the ground with a heavy thud. Bo left Betty Lou near Daisy and came to my aid.

"Alright! Freeze!" Rosco shouted as he entered the Boars Nest to find fist fights had broken out. The bang of gunfire caused the bar to go silent.

"Rosco, arrest him," I told the sheriff pointing at Erik who was still lying on the ground.

"Hey! He's the one who started it!" Erik argued.

"Rosco! You know Luke ain't gonna fight without a good reason," Bo defended me.

"Yeah Rosco!" Ashley Jo said, "Arrest Erik…he was the one harassing me!"

"Harassing?" he question pulling himself to his feet, "So now it's harassment to talk to my fiancé?"

"I am not your fiancé!" Ashley shouted.

"Alright! I heard enough!" Rosco shouted, "You Duke boys are up to something! I just know it!"

"Rosco…now we ain't up ta nothing!" I told him, "It's that jackass you want to arrest!"

"Ok! Bo, Luke, and you come with me," Rosco said pushing the Duke boys and Erik out the door and into his patrol car.

_Uh-huh…ain't that just like Rosco. He don't even want ta listen to them boys. Well…I reckon ole Jesse'll have somethin' to say 'bout all this! Stay tuned ya'll! _

A/N: Ok…chappy 4 up! C'mon people! I need some more reviews here! Even if ya don't like it…just gimmie something!


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